Rockies & MLB

Rockies' Carlos Gonzalez has lots in common with Larry Walker at 28

Carlos Gonzalez, above, watched the Rockies on television while growing up in Venezuela and was impressed by Larry Walker's five-tool ability. (Rob Tringali, Getty Images)

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Passing time in fatherhood, Larry Walker has started bowling. His coach was amazed how quickly Walker picked up the nuances, hearing advice once and applying it the next frame.

Sometimes to break up the monotony of a long season, Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez breaks out the hacky sack and balances it on his foot and body as his favorite soccer star, Cristiano Ronaldo, does with a ball.

Walker and Gonzalez have a knack for making the arduous look easy. It extends to baseball. Walker is in camp with the Rockies as a guest instructor, helping coach the outfielders. Manager Walt Weiss has the unique perspective of having played alongside Walker and now coaching CarGo.

Weiss didn't dismiss the idea that CarGo is Walker version 2.0.

"I told Walk on Thursday that CarGo was probably the closest thing I have seen to him as far as tools," Weiss said. "The skill set is eerily similar."

So, too, are the challenges. Walker explained that playing at high altitude contributed to many injuries, relating to the criticism that Gonzalez received last season as he played in only 110 games.

"(Denver) has something to do with it. And I wasn't put together as well as some people where things wouldn't break," Walker said. "I played a lot of games hurt, but I didn't play injured. That's a big difference. To be a tough guy and play at 60 percent and somebody else could do a better job, then it was better to have them out there."

Added Gonzalez: "It is hard to play in Denver. You have to stay hydrated. Your body gets sore more easily. It's hard to explain. But it's something you have to prepare for."

Gonzalez is entering his prime. He's 28 and coming off consecutive all-star appearances. When Walker was 28, he joined the Rockies as a free agent, hitting .306 with 31 home runs, 72 extra-base hits with a .381 on-base percentage. Gonzalez has already won a batting title and was on pace for 40 home runs last season before his injured right middle finger wrecked his second half because he couldn't swing the bat.

Walker helped the 1995 Rockies reach the playoffs. Could CarGo, a National League MVP candidate, pull off something similar?

"I grew up watching him. The Rockies' games were on in Venezuela because of Andres Galarraga. He was a hero in our country," Gonzalez said. "But Walker was unbelievable. He was probably the best player. He made a difference."

For Gonzalez to impact the game, his name must be in the lineup. This spring has offered encouragement that bad luck is in his rear-view mirror. He is using a new bat with a different handle and thus far has had no issue with his finger, which he elected not to have surgically repaired because there was no guarantee his flexibility would return.

"No problems at all. Knock on wood," Weiss said.

Gonzalez is being kept in left field, rather than playing him in center, to keep him on the field. The Rockies know he's more comfortable there, which affects his game more than any position change. The Rockies kept Walker in right field for good after he crashed into a wall as a center fielder, breaking his collarbone.

Gonzalez has tried to learn to play with restraint — running into walls has cost him nearly 50 games over his career — but said "it's hard because your instincts take over."

Walker can relate. He believes playing not to get hurt will produce the exact opposite result.

Former Rockies general manager Bob Gebhard "told me one time to tone my game down," Walker said. "How do you do that? If you are going to run into a fence, do you pull up on a play you know you should have made? I was a 245-pound guy who played at one speed. Because I was fast, I had that part of the game. So how do you just now steal bases or dive for balls? That's detrimental. It just doesn't register in an athlete's head, 'I will go after it one play, then not the next.' "

Walker admittedly doesn't see the Rockies as much he would like. He lives in Florida, and they are rarely on national TV. He studied the roster before arriving in camp and immediately drew parallels to his 1994 Montreal Expos team that coalesced before its dream was spoiled by the work stoppage that wiped out the postseason.

He reels off the names of CarGo, Troy Tulowitzki and Nolan Arenado, praising their ability. Walker doesn't want to see them experience a similar fate.

"You have a great foundation, just looking at the numbers Tulo and CarGo put up. Arenado is a mainstay," Walker said. "We had a big-time team in Montreal and got split up because the ballclub didn't have the funds. Hopefully they keep these guys together. Some years, we joked here that we needed name tags to know who each other were. They have some great young talent, and I'd like to see them keep them around for a while to see what they can do with Walt."

Carlos Gonzalez of the Colorado Rockies runs the bases during a spring training game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on Feb. 28, 2014 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Getty Images file)

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